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Th e “high” benefi t of movementTwenty-minute Barbicise Target-Rotate Workout

More exhausting than bingeing was having to work off the binge. I would exercise up to ten hours a day. My sister and I never worried about weirdoes because we’d outrun them…and then eventually look like one, running all night. Avoiding lectures, judgments, or sight-seeing tours of the “blimpo Barbis” was tough. One gentleman actually tried to stop me during my exercise-athon to hand me his business card. I thought he was “ hitting” on me. How embarrassing. It simply stated: “psychiatrist.”

Exercise is any type of physical activity for the sake of health and fi tness. It’s usually recommended to exercise 30 minutes a day. It takes approximately 45 minutes of continual exercise to enter the fat-burning/muscle-building process. I do believe, however, consistency and intensity are more important.

Th e common question or debate is “which is better: exercise or diet?” Most suggest that diet achieves 60 percent of your goal, while exercise achieves 40 percent. Others suggest that active overweight individuals are healthier than skinny sedentary individuals. Th e best answer to whether exercise or diet is better is both! You can’t make one work without the other. Your exercise, however, does not need to be extensive if you eat right. Raw dieters look lean and fi t with very little need for activity. Healthy foods actually encourage movement! Poor food choices make us feel lethargic, depressed, bloated, and stiff . Lactic acids build up in the muscles, causing cramping and possible hypoglycemic reactions from the wrong carbs. Th is further causes edema and lack of energy. Exercise itself releases powerful brain chemicals such as endorphins, which help combat depression and pain. Anaerobic exercises release serotonin (brain chemical that helps satisfy), endorphins (hormone that relieves pain like morphine), CCK (hormone that makes you feel fulfi lled), and HGH (human growth hormone responsible for rejuvenation and the fat-burning/muscle-building process). Exercise combats blood sugar imbalances. Smokers get their nicotine replacement from exercise, which helps fi ght their cravings, depression, and anxiety.

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Muscle weighs more than fat, and muscle tissue pumps up the metabolism, meaning the more muscle you have, the more your metabolism stays boosted without any movement. Exercise is obviously good for the heart and lungs, but it is also good for numerous other things we don’t think about. For instance, exercise has been reported to boost the immune systems of patients suff ering from fatal diseases. It helps fatigue, water retention, anxiety, stress, pain, posture, confi dence, diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure. Th e testosterone released during exercise benefi ts women with female tumors, endometriosis, and even cancer. Th e testosterone helps balance the excess estrogen, which cause female problems.

Sports are a good way to meet and connect with others. My favorite dates were at the batting cage. Exercise heightens good feelings. Forget drugs; exercise helps enhance the libido as well. Furthermore, exercise is good for body and brain circulation. It helps level your brain chemicals and hormones. Exercise triggers norepinephrine and epinephrine. Norepinephrine (neurotransmitter) helps memory, sleep, and emotions. Epinephrine (adrenalin) helps your blood sugar, heart, and muscles. When I need to think about something, it’s best if I exercise. It seems to make me level-headed and able to think straight. My best ideas come when I’m exercising. Exercise helps relieve individuals who suff er from rage outbreaks. Excitotoxins, body residue that is linked to diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease, are the result of an accumulation of toxins and the wrong carbs. Exercise has been the only known hope for improvement in these areas. Th ere are so many benefi ts; the list just goes on.

From a very early age, my sister and I have been sports fanatics. We wanted to play, not just watch them. Our parents were into sports, too. Our mother loved to play tennis and our father taught skiing. Our eating disorder never manifested in weight gain, because my sister and I were always extremely active. We loved baseball, track, roller blading, basketball, swimming, surfi ng, and dance. Playing sports was the few times we had confi dence in ourselves.

Th ere was a Surgeon General’s Report says that the minimal exercise requirement to maintain general health is 20-30 minutes of exercise three days per week. Th at doesn’t seem like very much until you consider how sedentary our nation has become. Kids, in particular, are more prone to sit in front of computers and video games rather than to exert physical activity. For the best benefi ts, you should exercise aerobically about 45 minutes 5 times a week, or 3 times a week with 3 extra days of anaerobic exercise. It is better to be fi t rather than thin.

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EXCUSE LIST: Th ese are basically the excuses people use to refrain from exercise. Check the excuse that keeps you from exercising. Following the excuse list are the ways you can overcome your excuse.

Check next to your excuse(s)1. Not enough time �2. Too tired �3. Don’t have money for a gym �4. Feel too “fat” to be in public places �5. Feel insecure when around a lot of people �6. Lack of desire and motivation �7. Have an injury or discomfort �8. Don’t want to get injured �9. Don’t know how to work out �10. Feel too old (or too young) to work out �11. Don’t want to gain “bulky” muscle mass �12. Doesn’t seem to help weight loss �13. Don’t need to lose weight �14. Can’t stay committed �15. Never had to, so why now? �

Excuse Remedies:

1. Just imagine the time you waste watching TV, gossiping on the phone, playing on the internet, etc. All it takes is 20 minutes at home, 5-7 days a week. Th ere is a saying that holds true: Give the busy man something to do and he will fi nd the time. I bought exercise equipment so I could do my phone work and gossiping while exercising! Time management is the key to success in all areas.

2. Exercise energizes a body with poor circulation. Rest is important, but a dormant body eventually slows down the metabolism and other necessary bodily functions to adapt to your “low and slow” mood. Exercise helps you get energized and makes sound sleep possible. I use exercise as my “cup of coff ee” in the morning, to get me started mentally and physically.

3. You don’t need money to join a gym. Th ere are many community centers, such as the YMCA, public pools, school gyms, and other activity centers that accommodate low budgets. Some thrift stores carry used gym equipment and the newspaper includes specials, like used bicycle sales. Simple dumbbells, jump-ropes, rubber bands, and exercise balls are aff ordable at your nearby discount

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stores. Exercise videos are always on sale at your nearby grocery, drug, and convenient store. I enjoy exercising outdoors, which is free! Best of all, you don’t need a gym or equipment for a quick workout. Exercises, as my simple twenty-minute Barbicise, can be done at home, without any equipment whatsoever.

4. If you are overweight, you are not alone. Haven’t you heard that weight gain is an epidemic? In fact, there are special gyms, classes, and sporting events for the self-conscious person who may be overweight.

5. Most people are self-conscious, overweight or not. All you have to do is explain to the trainer at the gym that you would prefer privacy or a time when it is not crowded. Th ere are gyms that are open twenty-four hours. Th ere are also gyms that are exclusively for women or men. Because I was insecure, I made my gym at home. I eventually noticed that people respect endurance more than appearance. Once you start sweating, you lose insecurities. Exercise helps build confi dence.

6. Lack of desire and motivation are the most common excuses. Exercise is known to combat depression. It releases brain chemicals like serotonin, which makes you feel good! I had a friend who was an athlete and trainer that used to say, “You have to get ugly before you look good!” Everything in life has to be earned, including health. Mother Nature may have blessed you with superb genes, but Father Time will take it away if you don’t keep up what you were given. It’s all a “mind trip.” You can train you mind to enjoy exercise. Try music to help motivate you. Explore diff erent sports that you enjoy. Find a buddy who will exercise with you. Exercise also releases endorphins, which make you feel high. Most of our daily routines in life aren’t things we want to do, but should do. We were better for it and we should be glad we do them because it’s better for us on the long run.Th ink about the benefi ts exercise gives you rather than the work it entails.

7. Many injuries are caused from being overweight or out of shape. It’s a cycle. Muscles hold your skeletal structure together, which can help prevent or lessen pain and injuries. Movement helps circulation, which speeds up any healing process. Scar tissue, which causes more pain and problems, builds faster on sedentary individuals. Many women complain of menstrual cramps. Th is is usually due to excess estrogen. Exercise actually releases testosterone that helps the estrogen imbalance, and therefore the pain. Exercise helps bloating

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and edema. During activity, the endorphins being released help relieve pain. Th ere are low-impact exercises, such as swimming, that allow movement without impact. Check with your doctor; he or she may have good suggestions for your specifi c injury.

8. Unless you are going to be a marathon trainer or pump tons of iron, severe injury is not common. It takes simple logic. People who injure themselves with simple exercises are the type to injure themselves crossing the street. Possibly it’s a “block” in their heads. However, most gyms have certifi ed trainers that instruct beginners properly. All videos come with explicit instructions. Libraries have easy instructional books about exercise with appropriate injury warnings. Use common sense and start out with light and low-impact exercises, building gradually to reduce injury possibilities. Proper clothing, shoes, stretching, diet, and breathing techniques all help the novice feel safe and secure. You don’t need to get all kinds of medical equipment to check your condition if you start out slow and use common sense. If you are on medication or continue to injure yourself, it would be wise to work out a routine with a licensed trainer and healthcare provider. I’ve known people who were restricted to wheelchairs but continued their exercise routines, which helped their health physically and mentally.

9. Th ere are trainers at most gyms who will instruct any member. Health books, fi tness magazines, videos, and fi tness shows on TV instruct people at every level. I wanted to learn by myself. I exercised according to the way my muscles felt. I’d experiment until I got the results I wanted. However, to prevent injury, start out with simple exercises and an easy instructional manual that will help guide you. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to learn to exercise properly.

10. I have noticed that families that start their kids out with early activity have a healthier family than most. It’s never too early for movement and activity. For those who think they are too old, there are numerous examples of super fi t people who are well above seventy years old. Th ere are famous elderly trainers, marathon runners, and swimmers who attribute their avid exercise to their well-being. If you are the oldest at your gym, you will be an inspiration to others!

11. Th ere are two types of exercises: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic has nothing to do with “bulky” muscle tissue. It concentrates on your lean, red muscle tissue and burns fat. On the other hand, while

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exercising anaerobically, you can use less weight and more reps, which will burn rather than build. People who complain about being bulky are usually people who overeat and build muscle under their fat. Th eir bulk will lessen if they choose the proper foods rather than give up their exercise.

12. It is proven that movement helps burn fat. In fact, exercise releases hormones, such as CCK, which creates a feeling of satiation. Moreover, when you retain muscle mass, your metabolism naturally raises, without needing movement. If you diet without exercise, the body learns to sacrifi ce muscle or vital tissue rather than fat. Th at means when you regain any weight, you will gain fat, which replaces your muscle tissue. When someone is thin but fl abby, that person is the type to gain weight very easily. Exercise helps metabolism, circulation, and all the bodily functions necessary for weight loss. Exercise with plenty of water helps food move through your system, which also helps weight loss. Exercise helps balance numerous hormones, such as estrogen, which helps weight loss as well. Exercise also helps motivate someone to eat properly.

13. Perhaps you don’t need to lose weight. You might possibly need to gain weight. Weight loss is not total fi tness. A well-sculpted body is usually derived from exercise. Exercise is not just about looking good. It makes you feel good for good reasons. Everything works synergistically in your body. Good circulation makes breathing, thinking, and functioning easier. Most thin people eventually complain about a tire rim around their mid section. Poor eating habits usually accompany poor exercise habits, which results in poor tissue quality. Poor tissue quality is responsible for cellulite and fl abby tissue, which has nothing to do with weight.

14. Commitment and maturity go hand in hand. When people learn to commit and follow through, it builds their self-confi dence and it inspires them to take on healthy risks that help them climb to higher levels. Th e trick to commitment is to start out small and easy. Just like a muscle, the brain has memory patterns that thrive on consistency. Once you have established a good habit (daily commitment), you can start trusting yourself to take bigger steps. People who don’t exercise because they are unwilling to commit are training themselves to be irresponsible. Th ere are clues to people’s success and failures. Success at anything stems from small commitments like exercise. If you have to start out with 20 jumping jacks a day, do that just for the commitment. Learn to trust yourself and follow through so you can depend on YOURSELF!

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15. If someone has poor health habits, it will not go unseen. Poor health habits smolder in the body, eventually manifesting when it’s too late. Movement is critical for all life. It helps you physically and mentally. Athletes rarely encounter serious diseases. Have you heard of preventive medicine? Well, exercise is just that. When healthy individuals over the normal old age (above ninety years old) were asked what their secret was, all of them had one common denominator: movement! You don’t need much; you just need consistent, daily movement. A brisk walk every day can be easy and relaxing. Many people do their best thinking or meditation when they are exercising. Exercise is a guarantee to improve anyone’s life!

Exercising aerobically means to work out “with oxygen,” indicating any sustained, moderate activity that keeps heart rate raised and steady over an extended period of time. Aerobic exercise focuses on the red, lean muscle tissue. Examples of aerobic activities include, walking, hiking, and swimming. Aerobic (or cardio) exercises can last anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours, depending on your fi tness level. Th ey create a demand on the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to the bloodstream, where food is metabolized as energy (fuel). A good indicator of aerobic exercise is to be able to have a breathy conversation while exercising continuously. If you struggle to have a conversation, you are entering anaerobic exercise. Th is stage doesn’t put you into the fat-burning/muscle-building stage until your body has used up its reserves (glycogen).

Th e anaerobic workout (without oxygen) typically refers to stop-and-start activities that require quick bursts of energy followed by a lull—weight lifting, tennis, and wind sprints for instance. As in aerobic exercise, the fuel that makes an anaerobic activity possible comes from glycogen (calories stored as byproducts of the food we eat), which is provided mainly by carbohydrates and fat. Proteins are used very sparingly as available energy. Th ey are too busy repairing and building muscle cells. Th e fuel for high-intensity anaerobic activity typically runs out after a few seconds or minutes, whereas aerobic fuel can last much longer. Anaerobic exercise focuses on the white, bulky muscle tissue. Isometrics are another example of anaerobic exercise.

You actually need both aerobic and anaerobic exercise for balanced fi tness and weight loss. Aerobic is good for the heart, lungs, and fat burning. Anaerobic is good for stronger muscles and bones and for speeding up the metabolism. Anaerobic releases CCK hormone (satiates) and the HGH (human growth hormone for muscle-building/fat-burning process and rejuvenation). Th ere are confl icting opinions about the most eff ective

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exercise mode and workout intensity. Most experts claim that extended periods of continuous (but not bone-breaking) moderate cardio exercise burns more fat. In fact, training at very high aerobic intensities adds the anaerobic element, which may oppose your goal. I have found that varying the exercise and intensity shakes up my routine so my body does not try to compensate for what it already knows. I really believe that sweat is a good indicator of burning calories. I will always “peak” at the end of my run to emphasize the sweat and to add a little anaerobic to my aerobic. Most claim aerobic exercise only burns lactic acid. Anaerobic, which conserves more energy than aerobic, draws straight from the fat for fuel. Th is claim insists anaerobic is best for individuals that have exhausted themselves with diets and exercise.

Weight lifting (anaerobic) is for your total health, not just for big muscles. It all depends on the type of exercise, the intensity, and the total reps you apply. Strength training is for people who want to build muscle, sculpt their bodies, improve appearance and posture, kick-start their metabolisms, help prevent injuries, improve body composition, and help build stronger bone connections. In fact, one of the most important reasons to lift weights regularly is to build denser bones in order to help prevent osteoporosis. As muscles get stronger, so do bones. Here are some facts about osteoporosis that may motivate you to lift your fi rst set of free weights.

� 80 percent of all osteoporosis patients are women.

� Half of all women will get the disease at some point in their lives.

� You achieve peak bone mass by the age of thirty and it dwindles from there.

� Strict dieters and people with eating disorders are at much higher risk.

� Caucasians, smokers, and very small-boned people are at a higher risk.

Th e best strategy for weight lifting is learning how to strength train regularly. To sculpt muscle defi nition and improve functional strength, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends lifting three sets of 8-15 repetitions per exercise. Most experts suggest choosing three diff erent exercises per body part to get optimal results, as well as lifting weights for diff erent parts of the body at least three days per week. Always skip a day of lifting in between sessions to rest and repair your active muscles.

It is best to ask a trainer about your intensity level and weight amount if you’re just starting out. My sister and I worked up to lifting fairly heavy

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weights three to four times a week, trading off with isometrics (using your own body weight as leverage).

Do not overdo it. When you are ready to increase the weight or try a new exercise, go slowly and raise the intensity in weight little by little, to avoid injury. Stretching after each lifting session is recommended by most, to relieve symptoms of the delayed onset of muscle soreness.

Most avid body builders prefer resistance training with free weights (dumbbells) instead of the resistance machines found in health clubs nationwide. If you just want to tone-up, any form of weight (tubing, body bars, or exercise bands) will do the job. However, you have to watch your form. (Th ere are excellent how-to videos on the market today.) For those who fear being bulky, remember it is impossible to build muscle and gain weight at the same time. Lighter weight with more reps will help sculpt the body rather than build it.

Exercises like yoga, tai chi, palates and other stretching activities seem to tone, sculpt, and strengthen. Th ese are good low-impact exercises and are great for people who suff er from frequent injuries. Th ese exercises help enhance balance, focus, and endurance. Th ere is no cheating with these exercises. It all works together with your breathing. Th is is why health experts promote these kinds of exercises; they are safe exercises for every part of your body. When one body part or muscle is worked on one side, it can create injuries. Yoga and other stretching exercises work on the body as a whole with the mind. It’s like a meditation technique. Most people underrate the importance of breathing. Breathing itself can be considered an exercise, because if done properly, it can give you the same benefi ts as a moderate workout. I think these exercises are an excellent way to give variety to your routines along with the usual aerobic activities. Many yoga athletes combine the spiritual philosophy with their exercise to help benefi t themselves, and their body, mind, and soul.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A term we’ve become fond of is peaking. Th is means going beyond your normal intensity range in either aerobics or weight training sessions. I usually know I’m peaking if I start sweating profusely or I can’t catch my breath. I’m at the point that I know my body and I know when I peak. But many exercisers do not, so they use other methods to test themselves.

Many active people depend on measuring their performance by taking their heart rate before and after exercise, particularly during cardio activity. A heart rate monitor is extremely accurate but can be expensive. It also does not allow you to become accustomed to your own body’s fl uctuations. It’s best to spend our time focusing on solutions. Below, we’ve listed three easy methods to measure your workout intensity. Th e third method is the most

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accurate and complete, also allowing you to measure your own recovery rate after the workout. Your recovery heart rate is a signifi cant indicator of your cardiovascular fi tness.

1. Talk Test Method: If you can hold a breathy conversation while exercising, you are working at an effi cient level. If you cannot hold a conversation, you should lessen the intensity. If, on the other hand, you can converse easily during a workout, then increase intensity to see better results. It should never be too easy to chat with your exercise buddies.

2. Perceived Exertion Test Method: Th is scale demands that you rate your own exercise intensity depending on how diffi cult it feels to you intrinsically. Th is is a great way to get know your own body, incidentally. Consider “0” as no workload and “10” as working so hard you cannot continue for more than a few seconds. Keep self-checking your intensity during each session. Experts say the most eff ective calorie-burning ranges fall between 6, 7, and 8. But you should fl uctuate throughout each session.

3. Heart Rate Test Method: If you have a heart rate monitor, the gadget does these calculations for you. If not, become adept at taking your own neck or wrist pulse.

a) First thing in the morning, take your morning pulse for one minute and remember the number. Th e lower the number (50, 60, or 70), the more fi t you are. Th en subtract your age from the number 220. For instance, if you are 20 years old, subtract 20 from 220 (to get 200).

b) If you know your most eff ective training heart rate zone, you can boost cardiovascular health and blast body fat. To determine intensity via heart rate during a cardio workout, take that number (200) and multiply it by 0.70 and 0.85. Now try to keep your workout pulse in that fat-burning zone for most of your exercise sessions. For example, when that twenty-year-old takes a neck or wrist pulse during exercise, she should eff ectively try to stay between 140 and 170 beats per minute for best body results.

c) Recovery heart rate is how long it takes for your heartbeat to return to normal. After your workout, keep walking slowly and take a one-minute pulse. Register that recovery number, and see how close it comes to the morning pulse you took above. Th e more fi t you are, the more quickly you will recover. Be sure to take your pulse immediately after each workout to get an accurate baseline.

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Th e diff erent methods of weighing or measuring yourself are numerous. Just like weighing or measuring food doesn’t work because it’s about the quality not the quality, it’s the same for the body. Muscle weighs more than fat, and when muscle replaces fat there is water retention. So why weigh yourself with these variables? Measuring yourself can be obsessive and deceiving. BMI (body mass index) is one popular method now used to determine if you are overweight. BMI measures the fat compared to your bone structure. It’s criticized because it does not take your body type into consideration. Determining your fat percentage seems to be the most accurate. It is done by either by the pinch or water test. Another method used to determine if your health is at risk is simply to measure your waistline. Men should be less than 35 inches and women should be less than 33 inches for good health. If you a man and are over 40 inches, there are health risks. If you are a woman and are over 35 inches, there are health risks. Th en again, during my days of measuring myself, I thought I was fi ne to put plastic wrap around my waist and sweat all night without drinking water. I had a great waistline until I ate a piece of celery. It was better when I treated my body holistically instead of obsessing about numbers. Th ank God my days of ridiculous weighing and measuring methods are over—the lengths I went through to get to an expensive hospital or sometimes a truck stop scale). I’d always carry a bag full of traveling measuring cups and stretched out measuring tapes (to achieve the perfect waistline). No more!

Th e best time to exercise really depends on the individual. At nighttime you have more energy, and it’s a good way to clear your mind and relax. Your metabolism is sluggish in the evening so this can help pump it up. Mornings are best to get you started, like a cup of coff ee. Exercise fi rst thing to get your body in shape for the whole day, mentally and physically. I liked mornings because it was my anxiety medicine for the day. My boyfriend would throw me out the door in the mornings because I was not in the mood until I exercised. Afternoons are good for people who feel they are too sluggish in the morning to get into it. Splitting up your routine is the best for the metabolism and preventing injuries. Th ere is a theory that dawn and dusk are the best times because of the positive ions in the air. Th ese are the times that are best for meditation as well.

DO NOT exercise on a totally full or empty stomach. You’ll feel crampy and gassy if you’ve eaten a meal within ninety minutes of a tough workout. You ruin the digestion and you will not be working off that meal. An empty stomach cannot fuel you properly for a long routine, either. Although you burn-off the calories you had twenty-four hours ago, a light nutritious snack before a workout is best. Th is will help prevent a burn-out or the so-called hitting the wall. Otherwise, enervation might develop, which causes the body to sacrifi ce vital tissue rather than glycogen

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or fat, because it feels stressed. Th e stress can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion as well. Do not eat refi ned carbs or take caff eine before a workout. Th is usually causes excess insulin secretion, which hinders the fat-burning/muscle-building process. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout.

Simply put, exercise gives you every benefi t there is for your body, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Th e byproduct is great muscle tissue. Th e more muscle you build, the more fat you will burn.

BARBICISE: 20-MINUTE TARGET-ROTATE WORKOUT—fast results!

� Check with your doctor. Use proper shoes and check your exercise area for safety issues to prevent any accidents.

Regardless of your schedule, everyone can take 20 minutes out of their day. It’s amazing what we have time to do if we want to. Knowing that only 20 minutes of the Barbicise Target-Rotate Workout can work as well as hardcore torture, it is easier to incorporate this into your lifestyle. Just like eating a huge salad with nothing but lettuce in it, a long workout without focus and intensity is a waste of time and is mentally draining. It’s best to do these exercises 6 days a week; they’re easy!

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Alternate days between aerobic and the anaerobic target freeze exercises in this way:

First Day:

20 minutes of continuous cardio of any one choice:

1) Jumping rope (My favorite; I can do anywhere, anytime.)2) Step aerobics (along with a taped routine if you wish)3) Brisk power walking with 5 lb. weights4) Stationary bike (or elliptical training, which is better for your

joints)

Second Day:

Isometric-type exercises, equal in intensity, using your body as “free weights”

Th ese are all very intense exercises that use only your body as weight, except for some common instruments (like a chair) to attain certain angles and positions.

1. Sit on a wall: Th is is particularly good for the quadriceps (upper thighs). It also helps your back, bottom (glutes), and knees. You appear as if you are sitting on a wall without a chair or any help. Your upper legs are parallel to the fl oor while your back and calves are perpendicular to the fl oor. (You may want to have a pillow under your bottom just in case you slip down, until you build up your leg muscles) You do this for about 2 minutes or until you are shaking. Remain as long as you can with short rest periods. Do this until you have completed at least 2 minutes. Eventually, after practicing daily you will be able to do it for at least 2 minutes straight without a rest period..

2. Push up freeze: Th is focuses on the shoulders and triceps (underneath upper arm). It also works on the neck and stomach area. On something similar to a kitchen sink, you place yourself in a push-up position with you feet slightly back and your hands on the sink (Don’t use the bathroom sink; it may not support your weight.) Lean in as if you doing a push-up, and when your arms are at a 90-degree angle, freeze for 2 minutes. Remain in that position unless you have to rest. Continue until you fi nish 2 minutes. Every day you should improve until there is no need to rest during your two minute freeze.

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3. Leg-lift freeze: Th is works the lower stomach area and lower back as well. You sit on fl oor with you legs straight in front of you. Th en lean back on your forearms by your side that are bent with your elbows slightly behind you.. You lift your legs straight up together to about a 45-degree angle. If you get tired spread and bend your legs to rest, but don’t lay them down.Continue this without laying your legs down for 2 minutes. If you have to rest by bending the legs try to resume immediately back to straight legs after breaking position. Th is should be done until you can hold your legs still in a 45-degree angle without movement.

4. Sit-up wall freeze: Th is works your upper stomach area. While sitting on the fl oor, facing a wall, you place your feet in front of you onto the wall. Lay your torso down to make it easier to place each foot fl at against the wall in front of you. Your knees should be bent. Th is position should look like you are sitting on an invisible chair against the wall. Your legs should make a perfect 90-degree angle. Th at will mean your calves will be parallel to the fl oor and your thighs will be horizontal (perpendicular to the fl oor). Put your hands behind your head as if you are going to do sit-ups. Pull your head up with the help of your hands locked behind your head. As soon as your stomach feels like it is in full crunch position (about a quarter to halfway up), hold it. Stay in this position as close to 2 minutes as possible or resume immediately after resting back into position.

5. Chair push-up freeze: Th is works the back of your upper arms (triceps). You take a chair with NO WHEELS and arm handles that are normally at your waist when you sit down in it. You sit in the chair, making as close as a 90-degree angle while sitting as possible(sitting very straight). You put your hand on the arms and push up until just before your elbows straighten. Your bent arm will have a slight angle during this freeze. Remain in that position until 2 minutes or resume immediately back into position after brief rest periods.

6. Th ree-legged lift freeze: Th is completely concentrates on your rear (glutes) and backs of your thighs. On all fours on the fl oor, position your back so it is parallel to the fl oor. Lift one leg at a time (to the side or straight out and back) so you have two arms and only one leg holding you. You bend your leg into a perfect 90 degree angle, with the thigh parallel to the fl oor

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and your back but higher and your calve perpendicular to the fl oor. Hold that freeze position for 2 minutes. Repeat on other leg for 2 minutes as well.

7. Sway freeze: Th is focuses on your lower back. Laying on your stomach, lift your head and neck off the fl oor while you raise your legs and feet as much as possible. Do this with your hands stretched out in front of you or clasp behind your back. Hold and freeze this position for 2 minutes or as long as you can. Try to remain in position for a complete 2 minutes.

8. Chair butt-pinch: Th is works your stomach area and rear. In any chair, with or without arm handles, put your legs straight out in front of you. With just your heels touching the fl oor and your knees locked, squeeze your butt cheeks as tightly as you can. Hold and freeze that pinch for 2 minutes. When done properly, you’ll feel yourself lift slightly.

9. Power-calves lift. Th is works on your calve muscles. On the edge of a sturdy stair, with a wall or something to hold onto, stand on the step with only half of your foot so you heels are in the air. With your weight on just your toes, raise yourself up. Feel the muscles in your calf tighten. Freeze this position right before you are completely on your toes, at the highest position. Hold position for 2 minutes. Resume this position immediately if you did not complete 2 minutes. (Raising and lowering your body weight slowly in this position is also a good lower leg workout.) *BE CAREFUL!

With each one of these freeze position exercises, you should be able to work up to a solid 2 minutes. Later, if it begins to get too easy (need to sweat or shake a bit), add leg and wrist weights to add intensity. All of the exercises are 2 minutes, including the three-legged lift (exercise #6), which is done for 2 minutes on each leg. Th at makes a total of only 20 minutes. Th e intensity and position of each of these freeze positions targets those specifi c target areas to the max. You will quickly see results.

Rotate your 20-minute aerobic workout (like jumping rope) with your Barbicise isometric freezes every other day to receive the best benefi t. Th is way, your muscles heal while boosting the metabolism. You will never get bored, which will help your body refrain from getting “sour” if you rotate these extreme opposite exercises every other day. You should be able to do these 7 days a week for best results. Th ese exercises are simple with no hardcore instruments and are convenient enough for people on the go who want FAST results.